Nutrition: Get Your Breakfast Out of a Rut, by Jacquie Robertson

Shaking Up Your Breakfast Routine

A lot of us are stuck in a rut with our breakfast routines. As a nutritionist, one of the biggest and most common mistakes I see people make is skipping breakfast . As cliché as it may be, breakfast really is one of, if not, the most important meal of the day.

Breakfast means to literally “break the fast” and rev up the body’s metabolic rate. Passing on breakfast can make you irritable, less able to concentrate and focus and cause hormones to become unbalanced, which can in turn can cause fluctuations in weight and for women, increase their likelihood for experiencing symptoms of PMS.

Reducing Hunger and Sustaining Weight

Eating breakfast may help to reduce hunger later in the day and prevent mid-day sweet cravings and late night binge eating. The premise behind this is that if the body obtains sufficient calories and proper nutrients at timely intervals throughout the day, it won’t need to seek empty calories come 3 p.m., a classic time when many of us start to crash and seek a pick-me-up like coffee, candy or chocolate.

Your Average Typical Breakfast

A typical breakfast for the average North American is a bagel and cream cheese, bacon and eggs or milk and cereal with orange juice. These classic breakfast examples are sure to create blood sugar highs and lows, make us crash and burn fast and cause weight gain.

Slowing Down the Aging Process

Research has shown that although we can’t completely stop aging from occurring, we can actually slow down and curb its negative effects through the use of whole foods. Consuming a nutrient dense breakfast can help us to experience renewed energy, radiant glowing skin and reshape our body to look and feel younger than we actually are.

Superfoods such as raw cacao, blueberries and green tea can assist in promoting longevity and offer a natural means to boosting energy, without the stress and negative side effects that coffee can have on the body.

A breakfast loaded with superfoods offer antioxidants, minerals and high fibre, all of which can help the body rejuvenate and regenerate new cells by offsetting free radicals and pulling excess toxins out the body via the liver and bowels.

Breakfast On The Go

My reality, probably much like yours, is that I need something quick and easy to get my day going and satisfy me enough to get through my busy work morning. It was during my hectic school days studying to become a nutritionist that I discovered the power and efficiency of a liquid breakfast.

Shaken, Not Stirred

Smoothies are a fantastic way to shake up a boring and repetitive breakfast routine and provide delicious liquid nutrition. Smoothies can provide the energy that many of us require to keep cognitively focused, alert and even combat stress in the most critical of times.

All you need is a protein powder of your choice (I prefer plant based protein such as hemp, brown rice or pea), a liquid base such as water, your milk of choice or natural juice, fruit to sweeten such as banana or blueberries, and a blender. Shake up or blend these items together and you have a meal in a cup to go in two to three minutes flat.

Health Benefits of Shaking Up Your Breakfast

Liquid meals are easy to digest. As liquid nutrition, smoothies offer an easy to digest, easy to absorb by our digestive system in order to assimilate and utilize nutrients. Proper digestion can assist the body in healthy weight management, balancing blood sugar and supporting the aging process.

Smoothies really pack a punch. Smoothies are an easy way to get dense nutrition in one shot. By adding additional nutritional supplements or superfoods including: coconut oil, flax seed, cacao powder, spirulina or chia seeds, you can customize your morning smoothie to meet whatever nutritional needs and health goals you are currently focusing on.

These nourishing drinks offer long-lasting energy that can keep both your brain and your body high functioning for a good couple of hours. Ensuring adequate protein in your smoothie (a minimum of 15 grams) will maintain energy levels and keep your tummy satisfied, avoiding morning crash and burns experienced by the classic bagel and coffee breakfast.

There is no excuse to skip breakfast when you have the convenience and deliciousness of a smoothie on hand. Shake it up, blend it up, drink it up and you’ll be moving on up.

Jacquie Robertson, RNCP, ROHP, is a Certified Nutritionist practicing clinical nutrition, specializing in hormone imbalance, PMS, digestive health and depression. Her mission is to educate, empower and inspire women to heal themselves naturally through the use of food as medicine, hormone balancing, emotional wellness and self-love. Jacquie offers both in person and online 1-on-1 nutritional coaching and women’s health workshops through her private practice. Jacquie holds a BA (Honours) from McMaster University, diploma from Centennial College’s Workplace Wellness & Health Promotion program and is a graduate from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition.
For more information on Jacquie, please visit www.jacquierobertson.com.

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